The Dirty Dozen: 12 fruits & vegetables to buy organic

The Environmental Working Group has released its list of the most pesticide contaminated fruits and vegetables. The top 12 include apples, blueberries, strawberries and celery. (Photo by MetroCreativeConnection)

YORK — Want to eat organic but can’t afford to do so exclusively? Or do you simply want to identify the biggest pesticide offenders in your fruit bowl?

Knowing which fruits and vegetables are most contaminated — and knowing when they’re locally in season — helps us make healthier choices on a budget.

Luckily for consumers, the nonprofit Environmental Working Group put together a list of the “Dirty Dozen” produce containing the highest levels of pesticides linked to birth defects, cancer and other diseases.

The EWG bases the Dirty Dozen on rigorous testing by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration, and it says consumers can reduce their exposure to pesticides by up to 90 percent if they avoid non-organic versions of the following:

In Pennsylvania, apple season runs July through October, but apples can be preserved in cold storage through spring. Look for the “local” and “organic” labels when you shop.

2. Celery

Fruits and veggies are not only tainted by the chemicals that remain on their surfaces, but by the contaminated water they absorb. Celery is 95 percent water and tested positive for 57 different pesticides, which makes it the second “dirtiest” on the EWG list.

Another summer/fall item, celery is locally in-season from August through October.

3. Sweet bell peppers

A single sample of sweet peppers tested positive for 15 pesticides, so be sure to look for the “organic” sticker when shopping for these colorful, crunchy vegetables.

Sweet peppers taste great year-round, but they’re only in season locally July through October.

4. Peaches

Peeling your peaches might reduce some of the surface chemicals, but they’re still 88 percent water. Keep the skin, ditch the chemicals.

Peaches are grown locally during the summer months, as late as September/October. Roadside stands are usually overflowing with the sweet, juicy fruits and you can pick your own at Frecon Farms in Boyertown.

5. Strawberries

Berries are largely water, plus they’re un-peelable, so organic is the way to go.

In this region, strawberries have a short growing season (primarily May and June), but are shipped in from other parts of the country where they thrive for longer. It’s important to look for where your fruit is grown, too — if it’s spent weeks on a truck being shipped to area stores and is going to rot within a few days of purchase, it doesn’t matter if it’s organic or not.

6. Nectarines

Every sample of imported nectarines tested positive for pesticide residue (domestic nectarines came in at No. 17 on the EWG’s list). Like peaches and apples, peeling them might limit exposure to pesticides, but buying organic means you won’t miss out on the skin’s fiber content.

Nectarines are in season late in the summer, so get your fill of them while you know they’re local.

7. Grapes

Grapes are 81 percent water, and not convenient to peel. Imported or domestic, it’s best to buy organic grapes.

Grapes have a short growing season in the early fall months in this region, but you’ll see them on grocery store shelves year-round, so look for that “organic” sticker.

8. Spinach, kale and collard greens

Large leaves mean more surface area to be covered by sprayed pesticides. Scrub all you want, organic is still safer.

Dark, leafy greens are hardy and enjoy a longer local growing season. Spinach can be found in abundance from spring through late fall, and kale can thrive well into winter.

9. Lettuce

Lettuce has the highest water content of any fruit or vegetable at 96 percent and, again, the leaves have a large surface area.

In Pennsylvania, lettuce is in season spring through fall. If you see it at markets during the winter, look for that “organic” sign.

10. Cucumbers

Tied with lettuce at 96 percent for most water content, cucumbers, at least, can be peeled. If you like that fiber content and crunch, buy organic and leave the skin on.

July through October, you’ll find cucumbers fresh and locally grown in this area. Year-round, make sure they have an “organic” sticker.

11. Blueberries

Like strawberries, blueberries have a fairly high water content (85 percent) and a short growing season, meaning they are often shipped in from elsewhere in the country, or imported. If you don’t know where they’re from, at least ensure they’re organic.

Find blueberries locally during the summer months.

12. Potatoes

Of all vegetables, potatoes have the least water at 79 percent, and are a vegetable we are most prone to peeling. Still, they made The Dirty Dozen list for a reason — besides celery and apples, potatoes reported the highest levels of contamination of all produce tested. Like apples, potatoes hold up well in cold storage during the few months that they aren’t in season, from mid-winter to spring. And like greens, potatoes are abundant at indoor farmer’s markets in this region.

The clean 15

The Environmental Working Group also compiled a list of the least-contaminated produce, The Clean 15. Eat freely of these non-organic fruits and vegetables, tested samples of which contained five or fewer different chemicals in much smaller amounts than The Dirty Dozen:

Mushrooms

Watermelon

Oranges

Sweet potatoes

Canteloupe

Kiwi fruit

Eggplant

Mango

Asparagus

Sweet peas

Cabbage

Avocado

Pineapple

Sweet corn

Onions

Good to know

The “organic” label means the product has been certified organic based on the following criteria: 1) produced without genetic engineering, ionizing radiation or sewage sludge; 2) produced per the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substance; and 3) produced following all USDA organic regulations. These regulations are strict and extensive. For details, visit www.ams.usda.gov/noporganiclabeling.

Even organic produce needs to be washed thoroughly before consumption.

Fresh produce is one thing, but consider organic versions of products made from your favorite Dirty Dozen fruits and vegetables, like juice.

Many of The Dirty Dozen can be preserved. Buy organic berries, peaches, apples and peppers in larger quantities during the warmer months and can, or blanch and freeze what you can’t eat fresh to enjoy them year-round. The money you save buying in bulk will offset the cost of buying organic versus non-organic.

Frozen fruits and vegetables retain their nutritional benefits and are almost as good as fresh. When hungry for blueberries in February, buy frozen before you buy non-organic.

If you’re shopping at a farmer’s market and are unsure if something is organic and/or local, ask. Most merchants are knowledgeable of the produce they’re selling and will be happy to answer your questions.

“Local” doesn’t mean “organic.” Local produce will be fresher, but might still be chemically-treated. Again, ask when you buy.